Over a year ago, I heard about a book titled The 12 Hour Walk, by Colin O’Brady. I read some reviews and the account of one person who had done this walk on trails around Bozeman. The book reviews were positive and the experience of the walker made it sound like fun. I made an attempt to find the book but it was not available locally, so I intended to order it, but forgot. Then I suddenly decided that I really wanted to do this and could read the book later. After a couple of days I woke early, had some coffee and, at exactly 6AM, stood up from my recliner and walked out the front door. At 6PM I came into the house and sat back down. I had completed the 12 Hour Walk, but found out sometime later that I had missed the entire point.

Colin O’Brady is a world-record-holding adventurer. He has climbed the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on each continent). He has been to the North and South Poles, has been to all 50 U.S. states’ high points, and has pulled a sled unsupported across Antarctica. He has completed most of these feats faster than anyone else has. He wrote a bestselling book chronicling his adventures. He and his wife have initiated successful business ventures, started companies, and a nonprofit to inspire kids to lead active lives and achieve their dreams. The 12 Hour Walk was his second bestseller. This was a book that I should have read a year before I did.

My 2024 12 Hour Walk began well. Since I had decided to start and finish at my house, the walk would be mostly around Bozeman. From our place on N 17th, I walked west on Babcock to the end of town, turned north toward Gallatin High School, out past Costco and around Cattail Lake. Coming back into town, I walked east along Baxter to N 7th, then cut down the hill to the railroad and over to Glen Lake Park.

It was afternoon and I was feeling great. I had walked on trails whenever possible, and taken a route that had little traffic. I had kept a mental list of the birds I encountered. I checked the app I had set up to track the route—the first bad idea. More than halfway through the walk I was averaging 3 MPH. Immediately, that gave me a mileage goal for the day. I decided to walk the trail to the ‘M.’ Once there, the trail up the hill beckoned me up, then down the ‘M.’ At that point, the first fatigue set in. Having no vehicle parked in the ‘M’ lot seemed absurd. Town was a long way away.

The highlight of the walk occurred when I made it back to Story Mill Park. My wife Ruth brought me snacks, including the best ice cream bar I have ever eaten. She then walked with me for a while. I had noticed that the app was wrong; it was underreporting my miles. This put grouchy on top of tired. For the last couple of hours I was not enjoying the 12 Hour Walk. But in the end, I returned home at 6PM with a sense of accomplishment. I had walked the miles that I had hoped to. Over the winter I forgot about it.

Looking over some notes this spring, I revisited the walk and determined to read O’Brady’s book. I purchased it and read it. I had to laugh at myself about how badly I had missed the point of the Walk, though overall, it had been a positive experience.

O’Brady’s book is really two books. First, it describes his idea of a one day transformation in the form of a long walk. Second, it contains a standard self-help text that becomes unique when he describes his own adventures. Each chapter outlines possible barriers that people face in attempting to reach their personal goals: money, time, support, confidence, and more. He then presents solutions to each of these concerns—pretty common self-help stuff. But what makes O’Brady unique is that for each negative possibility he presents his own specific story—his many doubts, and the many adventures that overcame them. All of us have figurative Mount Everests. His was literal; he climbed Mount Everest more than once. His most inspiring story involved his recovery from a horrific accident that set him on his career of outdoor adventure.

In the same fashion, The 12 Hour Walk was conceptualized during the first twelve hour walk. After years of continuous expeditions, he became restless and bored in a remote location during Covid. One day, O’Brady went out for a stroll. He returned twelve hours later, changed and inspired. Boredom and restlessness gone, he faced a new challenge. He wanted to communicate how that day had altered his outlook on life. He wanted to share the insights he had experienced.

The idea is to get out, unplug, and stay out for an entire day. The key components are being alone, being outside, and being offline. In other words, the 12 Hour Walk is a kind of mini-expedition of mindfulness. What clicked for me was that he said it did not matter if you walked one mile or 50; what mattered was the time spent.

During my own walk, I had followed most of the directives naturally. I do not listen to music or podcasts when I hike. I stayed off the phone except to check in with my wife. I walked alone most of the day, though she accompanied me for a couple of hours. So, without reading the book, I had gotten the bulk of the experience as intended. My mistake, a huge one, was when I made it competitive with myself by working toward a mileage goal. This increased my fatigue and frustration, and had me fighting with the app on the phone. The final hours were stressful.

After reading the book, I decided to do the 12 Hour Walk again. (O’Brady says that he does it every few months.) At first, I thought to repeat the same walk around town. But I decided to hike a familiar track on the Bridger Ridge instead. Again, I began at 6AM, this time from the Drinking Horse parking lot. It was August and just daylight. I walked through the nearby tunnel and up the asphalt trail, taking the long way to the ‘M,’ as there was no hurry. I passed half a dozen points which, over the years while training, I had timed myself to reach. I did not look at my watch. I marvelled at the cool, shady morning and felt good about an early start. When I reached the Ridge, I enjoyed the sunshine.

I hiked to Baldy and beyond to Bridger Peak. I took a long break on that summit. During the day I intentionally paused, looked about, noticed things: the sky, the progression of the mountain toward the coming autumn, the changing light of the day. On the descent I turned off and went down the Sypes Canyon trail to the intersection with the Foothills trail. This was longer… so what?

It is easy for me to not compete with others but hard to not compete with myself. On this day, I didn’t. By late afternoon, a storm was building across the Valley. I did not hurry to finish before the storm arrived. That would simply be another part of the day. Several times, I stopped and watched a curtain of blue-grey rain slant down to the hills. Pausing in order to be mindful sometimes results in becoming mindful without knowing it, which is the point.

By the end of twelve hours I was tired, dusty, and thirsty. Yet, I was also relaxed as I walked the last steps to the truck. I had to laugh as a few drops of rain spattered the windshield. The storm had become fairly benign and had seemingly waited for me to finish. My hike had not been easy but it had not been frantic, either. I ignored the waypoints where I had timed my effort over the years. I left out the competition and embraced some peace.

There is some irony that Colin O’Brady, the busy adventurer and entrepreneur, master of organizing and executing detailed expeditions, is also out to achieve some peace. And then to undertake the thousand steps to write a book about it. Yet it makes sense. A calm, unhurried brain is invaluable in the countless hectic situations he encounters. Thanks to Colin for instructing others in this mindset. He communicates his intent to his readers when he says; “The silence of this walk is my gift to you.”

Colin O’Brady’s achievements are impressive. These expeditions are lonely and somewhat self-centered undertakings. Yet, he has been able to turn them into a more lasting contribution of inspiration to others with his foundation for kids, and this book for the rest of us.